The present invention relates to a communication system in which a center apparatus is connected and opposed to each of user apparatuses via a communication network such as a star-form optical fiber network, and which is arranged to provide communication services to a plurality of terminals connected to each user apparatus, and also relates to the center apparatus, the user apparatus and a terminal interface unit which are used in the communication system.
In the conventional communication system for providing communication services, a communication service provider is connected to users via different communication lines, thereby providing them with communication services which are individually contracted therebetween.
Accordingly, when the user adds another communication terminal to the existing ones for obtaining services through the added terminal as well as the existing ones, or when they disconnect the existing terminals from the communication system, they have to ask the communication provider construction for adding or removing communication lines, or corresponding construction in the center apparatus. This means that high cost and lots of time and labor are required.
Even when the existing communication terminal is exchanged for another type of terminal, the user has to ask the service provider corresponding construction in the center apparatus, and accordingly, cost, time and labor are required.
The conventional problems are summarized as follows:
In the conventional communication system, the communication lines are provided so as to correspond to predetermined communication services, respectively, and the type of a communication service to be provided through each communication line is fixed, with the result that addition, cancellation or exchange of communication services cannot be performed on the user side only, requiring construction by the communication service provider. Thus, high cost and lots of time and labor are required.